The invention relates to a display system for a marine vessel or other vehicle, and more particularly to a display system having a single display unit for displaying information regarding various operating and navigating conditions of the vessel or vehicle and, when used in a marine vessel, for displaying fish detection information as well. The single display unit includes a variable display which has both a standby state and a display state and means for controlling the state of the variable display.
One form of display system for marine vessels uses a single display unit having fixed and variable displays for displaying certain operating and navigating information. The variable display may also include a fish detection display and a warning display of information regarding selected operating and navigating conditions. When one or more of these selected conditions is detected to be abnormal, one or more corresponding warnings automatically appears on the warning display of the variable display. Such a display system not only improves the visibility of displayed information but also enables the operator to easily and promptly recognize and cope with any abnormality being monitored.
Although this system has certain advantages, its variable display has previously been constructed so that once it is turned on, it continually displays operation and navigational information, fish detection information or warning information. As a result, much electrical power is required to maintain the variable display in a continued state of display. In addition, once the variable display is actuated, all of the sensors associated with the variable display are kept in an energized state, whether needed or not, so as to require continuous electric power. For example, the fish detector is maintained in the energized state once the variable display is actuated, even though fish detection information is usually not required at the start of operation.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an arrangement capable of displaying a wide variety of operational and navigational information on a single display unit in a quick and timely manner using a minimum of electric power.
It is another object of this invention to provide a single display unit which is capable of displaying a wide variety of operational and navigational information, and which includes a variable display having a standby state and a display state and means for controlling the state of the variable display so as to minimize the amount of electric power required.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a display system for a marine vessel which improves the operability of the vessel.